three albums you've never listened to before (#2)

alrighty... number two.

i'd say long awaited but my first blog tanked super hard.

i've been sitting on these albums for a minute waiting to recommend them but i didn't want to flood my blog when my first post didn't do well. tryna space them out. slow n' steady ya'know?

three albums you've never listened to before...

maybe you've heard of the artist, or a song or two off the album, but my goal is to give you three full albums. they are all albums i enjoy myself and i think have genuine merit in their respective genres!

Metempiric - Knoll

year: 2022

genre(s): grindcore, death-metal, noise

length: 33 minutes

when i first found knoll, i didn't know what to think. i was riding a grindcore wave and walked into this album expecting more or less the same nonsense. ultra short tracks, consistent mind-numbing rhythms, and some weirdo screaming. imagine my surprise when i found what i consider to be the best modern grindcore i've ever heard. this is every thing great about grindcore with elevated elements that make it so much more. the vocalist Jamie Eubanks has a stellar voice! he can convey a range and acrobatic ability comparable to Will Ramos. listening to all the different noises and screams Jamie can achieve is downright nasty, and he's a sweet guy. genuinely, voice of a demon, personality of an angel. i had a chance to meet the members of Knoll after catching them live while visiting friends in another city and they are some of the nicest musicians i've met in this scene. a little bit of a self-report since these guys are a small band, but its worth it to encourage more people to listen to them.

this album has so much to show you. from the harrowing, soul-sucking trumpet throughout, to the complete mix up of rhythm and vocal textures. its like the best caffeine induced descent into madness. i can't stop listening to this! the cohesion of the whole album is also fabulous. my favourites of the album are uniquely trumpet-led Dislimned, and the perfectly chaotic Tether and Swine, which has the nastiest breakdown in the album, as well as all the texture mixing and trumpet that makes this album stand out. if this is anywhere close to a genre you enjoy, i beg you, PLEASE give it a chance!

Ulvesang - Ulvesang

year: 2015

genre(s): folk, dark-folk, neo-folk, neo-classical, ambient

length: 43 minutes

i've been sitting on a backlog of ambient albums for a long time, so when i had to choose one to add to this blog post nothing else could have put a best foot forward like this album. Ulvesang's self-titled is some of the most magical, peaceful, soul hollowing music i could ever offer you. each track is hauntingly gorgeous. the way the acoustic guitar swaddles you up in heartbreaking melodies while the ambience mixed into the back swells in swathes of humming and nature sounds is unlike any other feeling. did i mention the recording quality is great? the sound of the strings squeaking and being picked as fingers move around the frets has been kept in, and aid in the intimate feeling of this album. i get strangely emotional when i listen, a combo on nostalgia and yearning i can't place my finger on completely penetrates my chest.

the album is perfect for anyone who loves the feeling of tougher genres like post-punk, hardcore, doom-metal, or black-metal, but want to take it back to something more raw and simple. songs like The Purge have a nice variety of everything, with swells and intensity that still maintain the relaxing atmosphere, while tracks like A Town of Ash make me feel bittersweet, with the vaguely familiar guitar licks that morph in and out of unfamiliar, minor patterns. give it a listen, and let yourself get swept away into the emotions this album wants you to feel.

Nothing Grows Here - Calling All Captains

year: 2019

genre(s): alt-rock, pop-punk, emo, post-hardcore

length: 17 minutes

well didn't take me long to stuff an EP in the album recommendations, huh? listen, i may have no excuse... but this ones worth it. if you have good memories of listening to Mayday Parade but hear Jamie All Over now and think, "this isn't really as intense as i thought it was..." then allow me to introduce you to the older sibling of that classic 2000s emo sound! this EP has everything great about the Taking Back Sunday's of the world, but just MORE. the guitars are a little heavier, the vocals have more raw screaming, and the drums bang a bit harder! the lyrics are still about lost love and how much life sucks, but have a tinge of midwest emo angst from being written in Alberta, Canada. i personally have this EP all over my playlists. all five of the songs sound like love letters to the music i grew up on.

as a whole piece of work, the short EP has no boring parts. each song carries the same tone and vide, making it seem like they could honestly be a playlist on their own. Out of My Head remains my top track. i love the energy! the drilling drum rhythm that punches through the start of the track, the yummy guitar licks spotted around, all the fry screams, the slower, four-to-the-floor chorus, and the fun song structure. really, if you like any kind of alt-rock or emo music, its time to expand your horizons beyond all the well know faves, and take a peak into offerings like Nothing Grows Here!

(same problem as the last post, i couldn't find a full version of the EP so enjoy my favourite track)

-kolfang